Several people who suffer from left arm pain, always get scared imagining to be a problem of the heart. But forget that not always these pains are related to the heart, pain in the left arm can occur for many other reasons. Here we’ll discuss that is left arm pain heart attack?
Although, always it is not possible to determine whether left arm pain is insignificant or something potentially dangerous, several ways can help you recognize the difference.
What Are The Possible Causes Of Left Arm Pain?
First, we must point out that a heart attack is an extremely critical emergency that must address immediately. If in addition to arm pain, you feel chest pain, you should go as quickly as possible to a hospital.
1. Heart Attack
A heart attack or myocardial infarction usually happens when there is a clot blocking blood flow to the heart. This poor circulation causes a lack of oxygenation that causes the tissue to lose oxygen and die.
A heart attack can happen while a person does a physical activity or even when at rest, that is, there are risks in both situations.
Even intense emotions can cause a heart attack, which can be fatal. As poor circulation causes a blood clot in a coronary artery of the heart, leading to a heart attack.
The symptoms of myocardial start with a sharp pain in the chest similar to intense moving toward the left arm, back, neck and chin.
How is the pain in the left arm of infarction?
It is a pain that starts in the chest and spreads to the arm, causing a feeling of weight. Moreover, the tingling sensation in the left arm can also indicate a heart attack.
Remember: Feeling pain in the arm itself may not characterize infarction, because the numbness in the left arm is eradicated from the thoracic as mentioned above, i.e., pain in the arm may also be related to another problem.
As this article is for informational purposes only, we recommend that you seek medical advice for a guarded prognosis.
2. Panic Attack or Anxiety Crisis
People who generally suffer from panic attacks are carriers of anxiety disorders such as panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. Often anxiety attacks are a result of anticipating a situation that may happen, especially with the probability of bad results, which ends up generating fear or panic. As you can see anxiety and panic have some very similar characteristics, however, they are distinct problems.
A panic attack can easily mistaken for a heart attack, because of its many similar symptoms like sweating, palpitations and chest pain radiating to the left arm. Already anxiety can also affect people who have heart problems. Although, their symptoms are less intense and do not mean that they are less dangerous.
Most people who have this condition and do not seek medical help. They may suffer from psychological and non-cardiac problems.
If you experience panic or anxiety attack, try to take a deep breath and stay calm, if you prefer you can crouch to feel more protected. Seek medical help to treat both problems.
3. Poor Sleeping Position
Sleeping in a bad position can cause many problems, whether it is torticollis, back pain or arm pain. It is common to sleep pressing the arm with the body, causing poor circulation, pain and tingling in the area. Therefore, you should sleep in a good position to prevent this type of problem from occurring.
4. Poor Circulation
Poor circulation occurs due to the difficulty of blood passing through the veins or arteries. This problem can cause by arm fractures, a poor diet in nutrients for the body, blood clots in the blood, certain medicines, severe cold, kidney disease and pulmonary.
Its most common symptoms are:
- Swollen feet
- Pain in the legs
- Varicose veins
- Cold hands
- Arm pains
The poor circulation is common in people who suffer from overweight or taking birth control pills. It can also be a hereditary problem and appear several times but may arise from other causes such as, spend a lot of time standing, keep your legs crossed for a long time.
5. Angina Pectoris
The angina is related to the reduction of blood flow and oxygen to the heart is a symptom of coronary artery disease and may also be eradicated to the left arm. Angina usually arises after strong emotions or physical exertion.
It can be momentary or recur to happen over time. You may feel a feeling of weight, tightness or chest pain.
Just like the heart attack if you suspect that you have angina pectoris, the first thing to do is look for a medical post. You may need to change your lifestyle, take some medication or depending on the severity to undergo angioplasty or surgery.
6. Nerve Injury
Stretching too much of the left arm nerve can cause an injury and even break it. Usually, this happens with athletes. Surgery may require depending on the severity of the injury.
7. Tendinitis
Tendinitis is the inflammation of the tendons. If it is the case, they would be the tendons that connect the muscles to the bones of the shoulder. Tendinitis can occur by repetitive shoulder movements or a sudden injury. This condition is known as a shoulder collision syndrome (when connective tissue rubbed on a shoulder blade) and a tennis elbow (when there is irritation of the tissue that connects the muscle from the forearm to the elbow).
8. Rotatory Cuff Injury
A group of muscles forms the shoulder called the rotator cuff (part of the shoulder joint).
When these muscles are damaged or inflamed, the tendons that form the rotator cuff can cause severe arm pain. If you experience this problem in this area, you need to seek medical help and avoid sleeping on your side.
9. Side Effects Of Medications
There are numerous medications and with the side effects. What you may not know is that many of them can have side effects that can lead a person to believe that they are having a heart attack, since they can cause pain, tingling, itching, and feeling of weight in his arms. If you are taking any medication and you notice any of these symptoms, please read the contraindications in the package leaflet and consult your doctor.
10. Mastectomy
Mastectomy is the name given to total breast removal surgery. It is one of the treatments to combat breast cancer. Women who have undergone a mastectomy may develop lymphedema in the arm, causing swelling and pain.
When To Consult A Doctor In Case Of Left Arm Pain?
When the pain in the left arm is related to some of these types of symptoms:
- Pain is sudden and severe
- Feeling a tightness in the chest
- Already had an injury on the spot
- You’ve already broken your arm.
- Even with treatment and medication, the pain persists
Remember that not all people who suffer from left arm pain have a heart problem. It can sometimes be caused by poor movement, inadequate sleep, and other unimportant reasons.
Additional Information
If you relate to the risk group for a heart attack, such as men over 45 and women over 55, smokers, who suffer from high cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes, in these cases, a pain in the left arm, accompanied by pain the thoracic region should be examined urgently.
